I wondered while you were in Fla for that brief time if you picked up a concealed weapons permit, if it would have helped or not. It shows Colorado honors the license, I wonder if they would also let you buy with the license. Did you ever or does Colorado have a Concealed weapons permit, I would think they might to be on this list and was wondering if getting one would help any. Worst case you could buy one in Fla or maybe Texas and snag a bear with Blast down there. They may have looked in a database of previous years taxes showing your location not in Co and rejected you, but not sure.

http://licgweb.doacs.state.fl.us/news/concealed_carry.html

FLORIDA'S RECIPROCITY STATES
Alabama (1,3,5)
Alaska (1)
Arizona (6)
Arkansas (1)
Colorado (1,4)
Delaware
Georgia (1)
Idaho (3,6)
Indiana (1,3,6)
Kansas (1,4)
Kentucky
Louisiana (1)
Michigan (1,4)
Mississippi (1)
Missouri (1)
Montana (3)
Nevada (1,6)
New Hampshire (1,3,4,6)
New Mexico (1)
North Carolina (1)
North Dakota (3,6)
Ohio (1)
Oklahoma (1)
Pennsylvania (1,6)
South Carolina (1,4,6)
South Dakota (1,3)
Tennessee (1,6)
Texas (1,3,6)
Utah (1,6)
Vermont (2)
Virginia (1,6)
West Virginia (1,4)
Wyoming (1,3)